Sword Art Online: Another Odyssey
by odysseywestra
Summary: Another perspective of one exchange student and his misfit friend's adventure in the world of Sword Art Online.


_Hi everyone. This is my first fanfic I ever wrote so please bear with me on my grammar. I hope to have it updated with a new chapter every couple of weeks at the latest. So enjoy and have a wonderful day._

_^^'_

* * *

This has to have been the worst day of my life! First, I get roundhouse kicked by a short woman due fact I could not speak fluid Japanese, and said something that apparently is rude. Second, I'm most likely going to flunk my classes. Why? Cause I simple cannot take them. Third, I'm stuck in this God forsaken Virtual World! Welcome to Sword Art Online my ass! I mean how are we going to clear 100 floors and stay alive!? Finally to top it off, my student visa expires in a year!

These were the thoughts that screamed in my head after awaking from the nightmare of hearing that red hooded freak yesterday. I awake here laying in a virtual bed, in a virtual Inn, in a virtual town, in a virtual world known as Aincrad. It all felt like a dream, yet as my mind shifted into reality and I see that stupid digital clock on the upper right hand side, I knew this wasn't the case. This was real deal. I'm stuck here unless the game cleared or I just die. I never really wanted this to happen to me. All I wanted to become was an architectural engineer. Not a swordsman trying to survive in a virtual world created by the nut case known as Kayaba Akihiko.

"How did I get myself into this mess?", I mumble to myself as I keep staring up at the ceiling recalling that day as I lay there.

* * *

It all started the day I exited the international airport in Tokyo, Japan. I was an exchange student from an insignificant town known as Humboldt, Iowa, USA. I was starting my third year as an architectural engineer and decided to continue my studies abroad.

"Hay Japan has some interesting skyscrapers, why not learn from them... Plus I could meet some hot Japanese girls as well.", I day dreamed in my head as I signed up for the student exchange program at the college I was attending. A few months later my application received the green light. Excitement wasn't even the word that described my emotions at the time. Oh, yeah!

I took a deep breath of Tokyo's city air even though it was a bit musty. It was a vast city with crowds of people moving to work, play, friends, family, or the like. The skyscrapers were so high, I was in shocked at how they could have built such behemoths. Vivid colors everywhere from display boards on the skyscrapers to a local shops selling various Items. It was much more different from the rural town I came from

"Ahhh!", as I exhaled out my excitement. I was so ready to explore this vast city. My parents stated their worries thinking I might get hurt or worse yet killed, but being my naïve self I assured them nothing is going to happen to me. However in the back of my head I was glad to get away from the farm life. The hot humid air, the cold windy winters, and the pulling of tassels from endless seas of corn just to make a living during the summer. Heck, the reason I'm studying as an architectural engineer was to get out if that hell hole and live life the way I wanted to.

"Alright!", I said to myself. "One step in this new city, one giant leap for my future!" Thus I started my journey in Tokyo. It took me awhile to reach my destination, however I didn't mind. I was seeing a whole new world, but main reason was, I really had no idea where I was going. Not being able to speak fluent Japanese, I ended up relying on my smart phone for a lot of the translation to understand people, and for them to understand me. However, after getting the right directions I could understand, and taking the crowded train down some stations, I finally reached my destination. The University of Tokyo. After that, it was much simpler since most of the faculty could speak English, or Engrish for that matter. I was able to check in at the registration desk. They handed me a key and directions to my dorm room. As I walked out of the main building, I looked at that dorm key.

This was the start of my new life.

The dorms were not so far away. Just a few blocks from the Faculty of Engineering from which I would be soon studying from. In about fifteen minutes time, I was at the dorm. It was a 6 story building with about 60 dorms which would amount to about 10 dorms per floor. It was simple in design with the dorms doors facing the street and a balconies facing the back. There was no elevator so I'll be doing a lot of walking, but hey, I didn't mind. The woman at the registration said I have a roommate who volunteered to be my mentor. I don't know much about him, but at least we have the same major.

As I approached the dorm, a young lady walked out from base of the stairs exiting the dorm. She was a bit shorter than I with her head being at about my upper chest level give or take. She wore a simple casual clothing with a knee-high pleated skirt. However her hair was purple. Wait wasn't most Japanese people hair black? I guessed she dyed it, but it did looked cute with it being shoulder length. However, what caught my attention the most was her eyes which were a sky blue. They looked as vast as the sky above her. Let's just say her appearance was attractive to me. Being my romantic self, or just the fact my hormones took over, I walked up to her with the intention to test out my Japanese. "Hi, I was wondering if you could help me find my.." WOOP. THUD!

Fail...

Out of nowhere this short woman roundhouse kicked me right on the chest causing me to land flat on my back. That common phrase of "getting the wind knock out of ya" was an understatement. Without breaking a sweat, the short woman just walked away saying "baka" in the process. I just laid there stunned, and in pain by what just happen...

Wait, did she just called me an idiot?

Finally gripping reality, I grudgingly gotten myself up and walked upstairs to my dorm which was number 48. Now, I wish there was elevator. When I arrived at my dorm, I stood there looking at the door. On the left, I see a tag with my name in English and another name which I couldn't read or pronounce above it.

"Must be my roommate.", I said to myself. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked and opened the door and walked in. I said in the Japanese custom, "I'm home."

The lights were off and I saw my delivered boxes on the floor in that short hallway. I guess he wasn't home. Oh well. I took my shoes off and walked inside past the bathroom and small kitchen. It was a cozy little place that had a small TV on a stand and coffee table in the middle with a laptop on it and a bunk bed against the left side of the room. I placed my bag next to the table and sat on the bottom bunk which had no sheets.

"Looks like he took the top bunk.", I said to myself as I looked up. I grabbed my phone from the pocket of my fleece jacket, and updated my status on Facebook letting my friends and family know that I was safe and enjoying my life so far in Japan. I stood up and walked to the sliding door in the back of the dorm and opened it. I felt a slight chilly breeze coming in due to the fact it's November and it was getting close to being winter. Why they started the exchange program so late in the year, I'll never know. Budgets. My phone vibrated, and I looked to see my status gotten a couple likes and such, but no comments. Heh, typical social networking. I once again take a deep breath again. Taking in reality one step at time. Dang what up with this breathing...

Then I suddenly had a strange feeling like someone was behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck rose escalating my instinct. I turned around swiftly to see who was behind me. Hu? Nothing but dark dorm with a sunlight coming in from outside. Must been just my paranoid self. I just smile wiry and turned back around...

That feeling came back.

I turned around suddenly again to see a man a bit shorter than me. Hey, I'm 5'11".He was obviously Japanese with black messy hair and glasses on. He was crouch over looking like he was trying to sneak up on me.

"Gah!", I blurted out as I jumped backward with my back hitting the guard rails of the balcony. He too jumped back, but he ended up tripping on a cord and fell on the floor on his rear.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!", was what he said in Japanese, at least that what I thought he said, as he rub his rumbottom.

After my heart pace began to settled, I lowered my arm and ask in broken Japanese, "Uh, who are you?"

After he hear me, he looked at me with curiosity. Then in one fluid motion he bends over his face to the ground and said, "Gomen'nasai!"

I must have had said something wrong.

I shook my hands. "No, No I should be the one apologizing!", I tried to say in Japanese. The young man just looked up at me staring at me. Then he just laughed.

Yeah, I said something wrong.

* * *

After our little awkward encounter, we introduced each other for the first time. I realized he could speak English, and felt a little sheepish about the situation, however he didn't seem to mind. He offered to cook and I tried to say no, but he insisted that he should cause I was quite literally the guest. Plus for a self note, I'm not much of a cook...

About a half an hour later, we sat down on the floor at that small table and I ate my first Japanese meal. He said it's called curry rice. Whatever it was, the spicy flavor was amazing and was convince it was way better than any Asian restaurant food I've eaten back home. I was in tears.

After I finished, I placed my fork down on the table and said word that I thought was custom tradition, "Thanks for the meal!"

My roommate just stared at me then chuckled at bit.

"What?", I said thinking I said something wrong... Again.

"It's nothing, I'm not just used to hearing an American trying to speak my language.", my roommate replied.

"Yeah, well at least you're taking it better than that short purple hair woman, earlier."

"Purple hair woman?", my roommate asked interested in what I said.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing particular."

He just smiled there while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. As he put his hand down, I notice a box on the bed with a game beside it in a plastic bag.

"What's that?" I asked as I pointed at the items on my bunk.

"Oh those?", he replied , "That is Nerve Gear for Virtual Reality Games. It is why you did not see me here when you came here. I was in line getting a new game and an extra Nerve Gear."

He stretched over and grabbed the game and handed it to me. It was in Japanese but I got what it basically means. Sword Art Online, a virtual reality massively multiplayer role-playing game or VRMMORPG for the Nerve Gear. What made this game interesting was that does not use magic, just pure sword skills.

"Hmm, interesting." I said as I looked at the case of the game. Then I looked at the Nerve Gear. I've heard of the Nerve Gear in the news saying it's a revolution to Virtual Reality. Though it never passed the FCC due to the fact it used too strong of microwave emitters even though it had limiters. I was pretty ticked off when I couldn't get one. But now here is on sitting on my bunk.

"Do you want to play it?" My roommate asked me. "I already have a copy due to the fact I was a beta tester during the summer. Consider it a welcome gift."

That was a sudden question that put me back. This would be my first time being in a true virtual reality. Not something like an Oculus Rift but a virtual world I can fully experienced with all my senses. A full dive as some people would have called it.

I looked at my roommate. "It would be an honor to play. "

* * *

My roommate set up the Nerve Gear for himself and I. The system seem pretty straightforward with a simple disc reader, a network cable, data cable for the Nerve Gear, and low and behold, the Nerve Gear Helmet itself. Dang that thing was big.

I changed myself in comfortable clothing because my roommate said I would be lying down during game play. After he set everything up, my roommate helped put the helmet on me and adjust it to the size to my head.

"Okay you're going to feel a bit disoriented when you enter the world, so don't be surprised if you fall down. It is normal for first timers.", my roommate mentioned as I laid down on my bunk. "Okay get comfortable there, and when you are ready just say the command, and the system will launch. I meet you in the town square when you arrive."

I nodded in Acknowledgement.

"Okay have fun diving!" He said.

I given him a thumbs up and winked at him.

My roommate stood back and watched. It already been an hour since the launched of the game, but it didn't matter to me. I was again journey into a world unlike this one, and it only took two simple words.

"Link Start!"

The next few moments were one of most trippiest moments of my life. It was as if time just slowed down as reality around me just melted. It felt like I was falling right into a white void. In a couple of seconds, the system went through the calibration process to make sure everything is communicating correctly. One by one each circle lit green signaling all was well. I felt parts of my body's senses being connected to the Nerve Gear.

Then I saw a box which asked me for which language to select. I selected English since I don't want to face what I experienced today.

Then I created my Avatar which seem pretty tedious. I never really liked my limber-medium body or my red hair so I created a character pretty opposite of that. A character who was strong and doesn't look like a weakling, plus his hair was brown. Definitely not a ginger despite Doctor Who's wishes.

After I created my character, the welcoming title of Sword Art Online appeared. Then slowly the world around me began to fade in. Text on the lower left-hand side appeared which said "Town of Beginnings" then it faded away slowly. I seemed a bit disoriented in the process to the point I nearly fell over. However, I regained control of this new body, this avatar of mine. Even though it felt a bit awkward, it was powerful. Rehellio was born.

After I adjusted to the new body, I looked around in the town square. I felt like when I gotten off the international airport earlier on that day. It felt amazing. Off in the distance I saw another avatar about 10 meters away from me waving. Awe, my roommate is over there. I ran over to him, however I almost tripped in the process. I guess I was still a bit wobbly.

His Avatar wasn't much different from his real world self, well except he had no glasses and hid was clean. I guess he didn't really care much.

As I gotten closer to him, I a join party invitation in front of me with a "X" to Accept and a "O" to decline. I nearly jumped back in the process cause thought it was a wall. My roommate just laughed. After realizing what it was, I click on the Accept button and I saw another HP bar appeared on the upper left-hand side with a name on it.

"Katsu huu?" I said to him while I ignored him while he laughed.

Jerk...

Once he regained his composers, "Yeah it mean "Victory" in my language", Katsu said. "However, it's strange you picked "Rehellio"."

"Well, yeah, it was all that came to mind when it prompted me." I replied. Hey, I thought it was cool.

Katsu just smiled at. What is up with him? "Well anyways off to the fields to train you how this game works"

"Yeah, let's do that."

We both walked out of the town square and passed through the marketplace. I saw several happy players talking, flirting, haggling, and the like with each other. It felt so alive despite it was all just data and 3D renderings.

I could get used to this.

* * *

Who would have known that wielding a sword would be so exhilarating. I never really handle a sword myself, but with these sword skills, I felt like a pro. Though it could also be the fact these boars were simple to kill.

I spent what seemed hours with Katsu leveling up to level 2 almost to level 3. However after moving so much, I did felt pretty tired. I guess the Nerve Gear used my mental fatigue to simulate real physical fatigue. Nicely Done.

"These sword skills sure are amazing." I said as I took out the last boar in the area. I was panting.

"Yes, I have to agree." He stood there painting with me. "Even though I've done this before, I'm still amaze at the system."

"Though it did feel weird after I supplied the system with the initial input, how the system would just take over to finish the sword skill.", I mentioned. "It felt like being controlled by a puppeteer."

Katsu just nodded. He was already lying on the ground.

I sat down with him and we both enjoyed the sunset view. It seem pretty weird cause right above you see the concrete ceiling of this floor. However the ceiling did gave off a nice glow as it absorb the sun warm rays. Aincrad is a floating castle with 100 floors of vast dungeons and adventures. A world where all you need is a sword and a strong sense of adventure. This was the world of Sword Art Online.

"It would be awesome if I could live here forever." I commented as I looked at the sunset.

Katsu just smiled and laughed a bit. Damn what's up with his laugh?

"What?"

"It nothing, I just though if that old proverb about being careful what you wish for."

I laughed at his comment, "Yeah, but I really don't believe in those superstitious phrases. I believe we must work for what we want in order to achieve it."

We just sat there quietly for some time. I began to wonder if I said something wrong again, but as I look at him, he just kept smiling while looking at the sunset. I turn my head and enjoyed the view as well.

However I would soon regret those words.

* * *

"Oh look, a player pushing himself too hard." Katsu pointed out. Off about 50 meters, or so, a player was struggling, trying to defeat a boar. He tried to activate a sword skill, but he was too late and was hit in the gut by the boar's tusks. The player fell back as his HP bar hit zero and in one fluid motion he shatters in a million pieces.

"Oh ouch, that gotta to hurt. Well he's staring over at the Town of Beginnings.", I said bluntly. Noob was what I wanted to say, but I didn't want to rude to Katsu.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

"What was that!" I said.

"It's a signal for a force teleport." Katsu said with a low tone. Just as he finished his sentence, a blinding blue light surrounded Katsu and I. In a flash we were at the town square in the Town of Beginnings.

I stood there stunned and confused at what just happened. We were at the outer edge of crowd, but it looked like all 10,000 players were transported here.

"What's going on?", I asked Katsu.

"I don't know, but I think we are going to find out."., Katsu replied as he pointed up to the ceiling of the Castle floor.

There was a blinking elongated hexagon sign labeled System Announcement. It blinked for about ten times before other hexagon signs appeared. Soon after, a red liquid began to ooze it way out though the sign and other parts of the castle ceiling. It kept oozing down until it Began to form a bowl and an object began to rise from it. I stood there amazed at the graphics. This must definitely be a system wide quest I thought.

The object began to take form. It had a hood and he was completely red. It draped down and basically covered his body. It looked like a Nobody from that old classic game, Kingdom Hearts except he was red instead of black.

"It a gamemaster!", someone pointed out.

The gamemaster just stood there for a few moments floating above the players of Sword Art Online. Then it raised both hands as if welcoming us.

"Attention Players." Were the first word that came booming out if this faceless figure. "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world. I am sure you already notice that the logout button is missing from the Menu."

"What!?", I said. I opened the menu with my two fingers, touched the settings button and frantically looked for then logout button, but it wasn't there. I looked up at the figure wondering what he was up to?

"But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online." He continued with what I could seem be a straight face. What a perfect stoic character.

"Be careful what you wish for." What I said under my breath as I stood there shocked by what he said.

However he wasn't done.

"You cannot log out of SAO yourselves, and no one from the outside can shutdown or remove the nerve gear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter in the Nerve Gear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life."

FCC ruling was what went through my mind at that moment. "Transmitters in the Nerve Gear are too dangerous despite the limiters. They pose a threat to human health due to the theory they could be hacked and entail destroy the brain." Who would have thought the US Federal government would be right on this one.

The crowd became a bit louder due to the confusion. Even I became confused.

"Unfortunately, several player's friends and families have ignore this warning, and attempted to remove the Nerve Gear. As a result two hundred and thirteen players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world."

At that moment hundreds of floating panels appeared showing several newscasts, broadcasts, netcasts, podcasts, you name it, covering the events of the SAO incident. And I gotten myself caught in the middle.

"As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus you can assume that the danger of a Nerve Gear being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But I want you to remember this clearly there is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the Nerve Gear will destroy your brain."

All a sudden, a flashback of that novice player not to long ago that was killed by that boar. My stomach began to feel nauseous, and I began to heave. However nothing came out.

Damn system...

This was no longer a game. This was real. I was alone with Katsu in a college dorm. How long will it be till they notice we're there.

"There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the floor boss, You may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on floor 100, and you will clear the game."

"100 floors, how is that possible?" Someone in the crowd yelled.

"You bastard."

"Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourself." I open my item storage along with everyone else.

Mirror? I tap on the item and it appeared before me. I catch and look at the item. I see my reflection.

"What's the point..."

Spontaneously, a blue light flashes around. What another force teleportation? No I'm not moving anywhere. The blue light lingered there for a second and then everything became a blinding light. After a half a second the light disappear. Confused and dazed by what just happen, I lift the mirror to see what happen. Then I dropped the mirror.

It was an exact replica of me.

I look around and I see people who change to what they looked like in the real world. Even those who were supposedly female but where male. and vice a versa. Served them right.

Then I saw Katsu, he was that same messy hair person I saw earlier, but this time he had glasses. I saw he was frowning. I looked up at the hooded freak. Why would this nut job do this?

"Right now, you're probably wondering "why?". Why would Kayaba Akihiko, developer of Sword Art Online and the Nerve Gear, do all this."

Oh kami-sama, do tell us why.

"My goal has already been achieved. I've created Sword Art Online for one reason, to create this world and intervene in it. And now, it is complete.

That's it? You created this world so you can intervene in it? You really are a nut case.

"This ends the tutorial for the official launch of Sword Art Online. Good luck players." With that, the avatar began to fuzz and waver as he seemed to melt. The in a few moments, it vanished.

It was the quietest moment in the town square. If you dropped a pin everyone could hear it. Then one by one, cries were being heard left and right. People began to panic, some just shut down, others swung their fist in the air in rage of what just happen.

"You can't do this to us."

"I don't want to die!"

"I want my mommy!"

I just stood there frozen. I guess I was in shock of the whole ordeal. This turned from a dream come true to a nightmare that will not end.

This is my new life.


End file.
